Little Tsukasa
by xCecilex
Summary: An experiment in chemistry goes wrong and Tsukasa is turned into a fouryearold! If you like Tsukasa read this. Lots of fluff and light heartedness.No slash. Father son relationship. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter One: Accident

**Author's Note: **This is an idea that has been bouncing around in my head for the past couple of days. I wrote it simply to get it out of my head, but thought what the heck, might as well post it. This will be very flufy and light hearted. Tsukasa is my favorite character, ask any of my friends, I'm like obsessed with him. I will only continue this if I get reviews. I may continue writing it just for my own pleasure, but I won't post if you don't review. I can't improve on anything if you don't review, can I? Anyway, here's the first chapter!

**Chapter One: Accident**

Tsukasa carefully measure his ingredient for the experiment they were doing in chemistry. He had been dreading this all week, but he had thankfully been paired with Mana, who always got As in the class compared to him scraping by with a C.  
So far everything had been going gone, no one had made any mistakes, and no one had blown anything up, which was a major accomplishment for their class. Naoya would usually goof off and cause some minor explosion. There was only three minutes left of class before they were free for the day. Tsukasa looked across the small lab table to Mana, and smiled.

"I think we may actually-"

His sentence was cut off by glass shattering as Naoya's and another student's experiment exploded spraying those closest, Tsukasa and a few others, with the liquid. Tsukasa almost screamed as the liquid burnt the skin off his back. He bit down on his lip, hard, to keep from screaming as his whole body exploded in excruciating pain. It felt like his body was shrinking in on itself, like his bones were grinding against each other.

A few minutes later it was over, and he was blinking tears from his eyes. He blinked, looked around, and frowned. Why did everything seem so much smaller? He turned to look at Mana, but only saw the legs of his chair. His frown deepened as he looked down at himself.

His hands were much smaller than he had remembered, and the hem of his t-shirt was dragging the floor. He looked up to see the top of the table about a foot over his head. He recognized Mana's voice close to him. "Tsukasa? Are you hurt?" He frowned at the girl kneeling in front of him, but shook his head.

"What happened? Why… why is everything so small? Did I shrink somehow?" Mana nodded, and forced herself to keep from smiling. She had no clue how this happened, but she did know that Tsukasa was the most adorable child he had ever seen.

"It seems to be that you have shrunk. You look like you're four, or five." Tsukasa's mind reeled at that statement. Four or five? His thoughts were drawn away from that as the sensei came over.  
"Amou?" he exclaimed. "You… you're so little." The sensei simply stared at him in astonishment as Kaname and the rest of the class came over.

"Someone should get Sensei Nakaura right away. He'll want to know about this," Kaname spoke up. "Tsukasa lives with him." No one blinked at Kaname's use of Amou's first name as it was common knowledge that they were close friends. "I'll go get him if you would like," he offered. Their sensei nodded, and Kaname quickly left. Tsukasa looked over at Itsuki, who has looking down at his feet. The sensei noticed this and sighed.

"It exploded again didn't it, Itsuki?" Naoya looked up and nodded solemnly.

"I'm sorry, I really was paying attention this time, but it exploded anyway. I'm sorry Tsukasa. I'm sure it's fixable once we find out why it made you little." Tsukasa nodded, afraid to say anything.

Surely this is a dream, he thought, this can't be real, can it? What is taking Kaname so long? Tomonori shouldn't be that hard to find.

He anxiously watched the door for Kaname, ignoring everyone's conversations. The bell had rung five minutes ago, but no one was willing to leave yet. Finally, after what seemed like and eternity, Tomonori entered with Kaname right behind him. Tsukasa felt slightly guilty at seeing the concerned and frightened look on Tomonori's face. He wanted to throw himself at his teacher and guardian, but refrained from doing so.

"What in the world happened? Why is he so little?" Tomonori asked their sensei, Ousha. He simply shrugged.

"Itsuki's lab exploded, some of it got on Amou, and he shrank." Tomonori glared slightly at Itsuki, but turned his attention to the very distressed, now four-year-old, Tsukasa.

"Are you hurt?" Tsukasa shook his head, feeling much better now that Tomonori was here.

"I'm just really confused." He was shocked at how high pitched his voice was, but he was even more shocked when he found himself wrapped in Tomonori's comforting arms. He glared at Itsuki again. "It's not Naoya's fault, not really. He really was paying attention this time, I watched him, and he wasn't goofing off. Please don't be mad at him."

Tomonori's glare disappeared at the child's pleading tone. He knew immediately he wouldn't be able to refuse the child anything he wanted. He sighed loudly, and nodded. "I won't be mad at him. If you say he really was paying attention this time, I'll take your word for it." Tomonori's heart practically melted as Tsukasa smiled.

"Thank you. Can we go home now? This is all really confusing."

"After we see the nurse, I want to make sure you're okay."

"Do I have to? I don't like doctors and nurses."

"Yes, you have to." Tsukasa groaned and laid his head on Tomonori's shoulder. Everyone but Kaname, Mana, Itsuki, and their sensei had left. "It'll only take a few minutes, and then we'll go home and try to figure this all out." Tsukasa sighed, but didn't protest.

A few minutes later they were in the infirmary with Tsukasa seated on Tomonori's lap, glaring slightly at the school nurse. He really hated all doctors of any kind. "Mr. Nakaura, he seems to be in perfect health except for that fact that he appears to be to four years old. He can still think like a sixteen year old, but I believe that as time goes on, he's going to act more and more like four year old. He'll probably have the same needs and wants of a small child." She turned away form them to get something. "I'm going to take a blood sample so we can hopefully find out why this happened, and how to fix it, okay?"

Tomonori nodded, but Tsukasa shook his head rapidly at the sight of the needle in the nurse's hand. "No, no, no, I'm not getting my blood took. It hurts, and I hate needles!" She looked to Tomonori to calm the child.

"It doesn't hurt that," he started soothingly. "There'll only be a little stick, and a very little pinch where the needle. It doesn't hurt as much as shots do because there's no medicine to go in. That's what really hurts with shots. I didn't know this was one of your fears." Tsukasa pouted.

"Well, it is, and she's not taking my blood. It hurts," the child insisted. Tomonori was torn between giving the child what he wanted and calming his fears, but he also knew the child had to have his blood taken if there was any chance of finding out why he become a four year old. The solution popped into his head.

"If you'll let the nice nurse take your blood, I'll take you out for ice cream after this okay?" He looked hopefully at the child, hoping that what the nurse said was true and he was beginning to have the same feelings as a four year old would. It worked.

"Can I have two cones?" Tomonori smiled and nodded. The nurse quickly swabbed the spot about to be stuck.

"You're going to feel a sting now." Tsukasa couldn't help but flinch slightly as the needle went in. He had his face buried to Tomonori's clothes while thinking of the ice cream to come. One part of his brain was wondering why he had let himself be overpowered by something as simple as ice cream, but a bigger part told it to shut up.

A few seconds later it was over and there was a band aid on his arm. "We'll run a bunch of tests on this, and I'll call you later with the results." Tomonori thanked her and left with Tsukasa still in his arms. The child turned around to look his guardian in the eyes.

"Now we can ice cream, right? You promised." Despite that, he was afraid that the man was going to back out. Tomonori could see the doubt and fear in the child's eyes.

"Yes, we can get ice cream, but we must also get you some clothes that actually fit." Tsukasa looked down at himself just now remembering that he was wearing only a t-shirt. "We'll get one cone, buy some clothes, and then get the other one, okay?" The child grinned from ear to ear and nodded happily.


	2. Chapter Two: Shopping and A New Name?

**Chapter Two: Shopping and A New Name?**

Tomonori had quickly discovered that Tsukasa did not know how to eat ice cream neatly, and he had a sneaking suspicion that the child had gotten more ice cream on himself than in his mouth. Somehow, he had managed to get it on his forehead, and like most four year olds, he didn't want to be cleaned up. Finally, when he completely clean of ice cream, they went into a clothes shop.

"So I have to get all the little kids clothes because I'm a little kid now?" Tomonori nodded while tightening his grip on the boy's hand. He had never had any doubts about letting Tsukasa go off on his own, he was sixteen after all, but he had no doubts about holding the child's hand this time and keeping him close. He was the perfect size to be kidnapped and he was so adorable that he could understand why someone would, and the store was very crowded. They bumped into someone and he almost lost his grip on Tsukasa's hand. Becoming increasingly nervous he scooped the light child up into his arms.

"Yes, you have to get the little clothes because, like you said, you are little now. It doesn't really make sense to buy anything else, does it?" Tsukasa smiled and shook his head vigorously, the sugar from the ice cream starting to get to him.

"Nope, nope, nope!" the child sang. "It doesn't make any sense at all! Nope, nope, nope, no sense at all!"

Tomonori knew that it would soon be annoying if he kept saying it, but he couldn't help smiling all the same. He was simply so adorable.

It was a rather big store, and it took them a few minutes to find the children's section. Tsukasa tried to get out of his arms, but Tomonori held him still. Tsukasa looked back at him and pouted, the epitome of a child who was being denied his ever wish.

"Why can't I get down?" he whined.

"You can-" He immediately tried to get out of his arms again. "In a minute. I'll let you down, but you have to hold my hand. It's really crowded in here, and you could get lost."

"Okay, I'll hold your hand." Tomonori set the child down on the floor and got a firm grip on his hand. Tsukasa led over to a rack of shirts that had caught his eye earlier. He pointed to the shirt, "Can I have this?"

Tomonori looked at the shirt and smiled again. There was a picture of a beautiful angel plastered on the front. It was only fitting that he would want something with angel on it. Tomonori looked at the price, and then at the rack. It was fifty percent off and well within their budget.

"Yes, and what about these jeans?" He held up a simple pair of blue jeans for the child to consider. Tsukasa looked at them for a minute, and nodded. "We can't get everything you need tonight, but we can get some things to hold you for a few days."

"Okay, can I try them on now?" The child was practically bouncing up and down from contained energy. He was almost dreading getting the child a second ice cream cone. He grabbed another couple of shirt and another pair of pants that were on sale before heading to the dressing room.

"Take these and try them on, okay?" Tsukasa nodded and went into the dressing room. Remembering what the nurse said about him having the same needs and wants as a four year old he added, "And if you need any help, just tell me, okay?"

"Okay," Tsukasa called. "I need your help." Tomonori chuckled.

"Unlock the door then." He could hear the child unlock it and entered. He had on one of the pair of blue jeans, but didn't have them buttoned. He had the shirt on, but it was on backwards and inside out. Tomonori refrained from laughing in the child's face.

"I… can't… get… them…" He bent and snapped the button for him and zipped the pants. The child was blushing slightly, and looked like he thought he had done something wrong.

"You haven't done anything wrong, Tsukasa. I wanted you to tell me if you needed help, and sometimes these things can be complicated especially now that you're little." The child sighed and looked down.

"I know, but it's still kind of embarrassing that I can't button my own pants." He sounded more the sixteen year old Tsukasa and the four year old one. "I know I'm little, but it's also like I know I'm sixteen," he said in the same tone of voice. "Like, when you picked me up, I almost told you that I was too heavy, that I was a teenager, but then I remembered that I was little and it was okay for you to carry me." He frowned, trying to get his thoughts into words. "Sometimes the sixteen year old part of my brain will take over, but it's only for a minute, and then I'm four again," he finished once again sounding four.

Tomonori nodded while taking off the child's shirt, turning it the right way, and placing it back over his head. "That makes a little sense though I don't completely understand.

"I don't either, and it bugs me." Tomonori chuckled at the child's whiny tone and placed his hand on top of Tsukasa's head.

"We'll figure it out later, okay? Let's try on the other shirt and see if it fits, pay for this stuff, get you another ice cream cone-"

"Yay! I scream, you scream, you all scream for ice cream!" Tomonori shook his head at child's enthusiasm and laughed.

"Yes, ice cream, and then we'll go home, okay?" Tsukasa nodded and quickly tried on the other shirt. He was willing to do almost anything to get another ice cream cone. They made their way out of the dressing rooms, got some socks and underwear before heading to the shoe section. Tomonori looked at the normal shoes, plain white sneakers, but Tsukasa had other things in mind.

"Tomonori, look! They light up when you walk!" He looked up as the child walked toward him to demonstrate the shoes. "Can I have them?" It was amazing to see the change from the overly shy sixteen year old to this open, energetic four year old though some of that could be contributed to the sugar currently in his system.

"It depends on how much they are." They were actually cheaper than the ones Tomonori had been looking at. "Do they fit well enough? They don't slide up and down when you walk?" Tsukasa's face lit up and shook his head. He walked back down the aisle to let him check.

"See? They fit perfectly. Does that mean I can have him?" Tomonori rolled his eyes.

"Yes, you can have them."

"Thank you," he squealed quietly and ran up to hug the man. Tomonori immediately hugged him back tightly, liking the feel of Tsukasa's small body curled close to his, trusting him to take care of him.

Thirty minutes later Tsukasa had ice cream all over his face, but was thoroughly enjoying what little ice cream was making it to his mouth. "Thank you for getting me the ice cream and clothes, Tomonori," he said while swinging off his arm.

"You don't have to thank me. I was glad to do it."

The rest of the night went by uneventfully with Tsukasa running around to work off all the extra energy he had from the sugar in the ice cream. Thankfully, it worked and by eight thirty he was half asleep in his spot beside Tomonori on the couch. "Ready for bed, Tsukasa?" Tomonori asked while picking him up to carry to his room. He felt the child groggily nod against his shoulder.

He changed Tsukasa into his pajamas, and then tucked him into bed. He had already told him goodnight, and was about to turn off the lights when Tsukasa's voice rang through the room.

"I love you."

A small smile graced Tomonori's face. "I love you to, Tsukasa, good night," he said softly.

"I love you, Daddy

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**Author's Note: **I know it's short, but I wanted to get a chapter out today. I probably wouldn't be able to over the weekend. I have to take the Gateway for Algebra next Tuesday, and that's the same day my aunt goes into the hospital to be induced. We're not sure if the baby will make it, or for how long, so that's going to take up the rest of the week. I also have to make a presentation to some judges for a thing I'm doing for school the Friday of that week, and then the next week I am going to Washington, DC for the eighth grade field trip. The school's also having an Art Show tomorrow night that I have some stuff in that I'm going to so if I didn't update now, I wouldn't be able to.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I got six in one chapter! That's the most I've ever gotten on the first chapter!

**Review Responses:**

**DarkAceGambit: **Thanks for the long review, manda! Lol. J.k

**Childofsorrow: **Yes, he is very cute and innocent. Hope you liked this chapter! He he.

**Mif- Chain: **I'm glad you thought the personalities. Tsukasa is kind of OOC, which is to be expected, but I'm going to continue as long as the feedback keeps up.

**Lexi- Teniro: **Thanks! I LOVE Tsukasa to! Lol. I'm like obsessed. I did a painting of him for art class. I can't believe there weren't more father/son relationships on here. I figured I would be like the millionth person to do this, but in the just in section, which so back to like March, mine is the only one! Oh well. Lol. Thanks again!

**Paranoid Stalker Loves Slash: **I'm obsessed with him to, but my friends haven't come with a nickname yet. I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Lol. I thought it was rather amusing also that everyone but Tsukasa and Tomonori together to. In the third book, he said he wished Tomonori was his father, not boyfriend, but whatever. I'm not big on slash, it's okay, but I do agree that it's not for JO. I think Ayame and Shigure would make a good couple for Fruit's Basket. Thanks for the review!

**Tsuki Mizuno: **I'm glad you loved it, and I updated!

Well, that's everyone, and everyone please review again, and every single person who reads it!


	3. Chapter Three: Daddy and Nightmare

**Author's Note: **Hi, again! I'm sure you all weren't expecting an update this quick, but I had nothing to do in International Studies so I began typing, and this chapter just flowed very well and didn't give me any trouble at all. Thanks for all reviews! The feedback has been awesome!

**DarkAceGambit: **Thank you, and is ur AIM sreen name still the same, or did u change it with ur email?

**Paranoid Stalker Loves Slash: **I have thought about the plot twist you mentioned, and with Tsukasa being so cute and all, but I haven't completely decided on what to do. I haven't read any Fruits Basket fan fictions actually, but the ones with the Machundari(sp. lol) in high school sound neat. I'll look into it. Thanks for the review! I love long ones. lol

**Tsuki Mizuno: **Thanks! Yes, Tsukasa is cute.

**Lexi-Teniro: **It's fine that it took you a little while to review, as long as you do. I've read some stories where I was going Aww every few seconds. lol. I didn't know I could write fluff this well... lol. Usually my stuff is darker, but I'm pleased that I can write this. Thank for the long review!

**Mif-chan: **Don't worry, I won't keep it to myself. lol. I'll try to update quickly. It's been flowing very smoothly and hasn't given me any problems yet, but it is only the third chapter.

**Capricorn Choas: **Thank! I will update, don't worry, as long as you review! Thanks again!

**Six again, thanks! I did a couple more for the first chapter after I had the second chapter posted, but I didn't reply to those since I don't know if they read the second chapter.**

**Chapter Three: Daddy and nightmare**

Tomonori sank down onto the couch, mind reeling. He did love Tsukasa, he almost always had, and he knew that the child was going to have many different feeling now that he was four... but Daddy? He never would've said that the child would've called him that.

Tsukasa had been more snuggly than normal, it was to be expected, and he assumed he would be given some nickname like uncle, or something, but not Daddy. That was such and important role in a child's life especially for someone like Tsukasa who had had such a horrible past. He needed someone who could always be there for him, take care of him, comfort him, and love him.

Could he do that for the child? Could he let him call him that? Could he live up to all the standards and responsibilities that a father would have? Was he already doing that without realizing it?

He frowned and considered that possibility. He did take care of Tsukasa, as much as the teen would let him. He had been there to comfort him when something went wrong, and he did love him. So, essentially, wasn't he already acting as the child's father? Could angels even have fathers?

Yet he still wasn't sure if he could live up to the responsibilities. Yes, he was already doing everything a father should do, but it would be different if Tsukasa actually called him Daddy. Would Tsukasa let him adopt him?

Tomonori blinked at his own thoughts. Adoption? Since was he so rash about something as important as that? He had asked himself if Tsukasa would let him, not if he wanted to.

He had been very close to his own father, and knew how much he relied on him to provide for him. Was he willing to take that responsibility and be the person the child would depend on to care for him? Now, when he was four, and later when he was back to his regular self?

Maybe he'll forget, he thought, but immediately rejected it. Tsukasa wouldn't forget, most likely though it did surprise him that the child had been so bold. Tsukasa was normally very shy and quiet, but ever since he had been turned into a four year old, he had been very loud and open. Sure, it was partially just the age, and the sugar in the ice cream, but he didn't think the child had called him Daddy simply because he had been exhausted.

He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. He was more then willing to care for the child, but he had never expected. What is Tsukasa asked him to his face if it was okay to call him Daddy? Could he tell the child no?

No, you can't, his mind answered for him. You knew when he first said it that you were going to let him call you that because you thought it was sweet, and it made you feel good.

He once again blinked at his own thoughts, and shook his head. It was still the first day of four year old Tsukasa, and he was already being called Daddy! Maybe their relationship was just stronger than he had thought. They were very close, but he never would've expected that they were this close.

He looked down at this stack of papers needed to be graded, and sighed. He rubbed his eyes furiously, pushed all thoughts of being called Daddy out of his head, and began to grade the papers.

It took only an hour to grade them, and he was just about to get into bed, when he heard a scream from Tsukasa's room.

He jumped out of bed and ran to child's room down the hall. "Tsukasa!" He ran into his room, and went to the crying child's side, trying to calm his racing heart. "Tsukasa, what's wrong? Why did you scream?"

He was rocking back and forth, sobbing, and muttering to himself. He didn't seem to realize that Tomonori was in the room. Tomonori frowned, reached out and touched the child's head. Tsukasa jumped back from him and hit his head on the wall, hard, which made him cry harder.

"Shh," Tomonori soothed. "It's just me, calm down; I'm not going to hurt you. I heard you scream and came to see-"

He couldn't finish as Tsukasa launched himself at the man, and knocked the breath out of him, burying his face in the older man's shoulder. "Please, don't leave," he sobbed, almost indistinguishable. "Please, don't leave me. Don't hate me, I didn't want to hurt anyone. I didn't mean to, I didn't want to. Please, please, please don't leave me alone. Please, I..." sob, "don't..." sob, "want to be..." sob, "alone!"

Tomonori began to rock the child while rubbing small circles on his back. "I'm not going to leave you, and I could never hate you. I love with all my heart. It's okay, calm down." It took a good fifteen minutes before he had stopped sobbing, but tears were still slowly trickling down his cheeks.

Tsukasa pushed back from him, but not back so far that he was out of Tomonori's arms. "But I hurt those people, and I hurt Mana. Shouldn't I be punished for that?" Tomonori thought his heart would break and never be repaired at the child's logic and desperate tone.

"No, you should not be punished. Mana knows you didn't mean it, and she had forgiven you. Anyone who knows you knows that you would never intentionally hurt someone, especially me, and I could _never_ hate you no matter how hard I tried."

Tsukasa looked hopefully up at him. "Really? What if I got mad, and said that I hated you? Would you hate me then?"

Tomonori shook his head. "No, my feelings would be hurt though, but I wouldn't hate you. There is nothing in the world you could do to make me hate you, okay? Do you believe me?" Tsukasa nodded his head, but Tomonori looked into the child's eyes to make sure he was telling the truth and really did believe.

"Good, because you are the most important person to me in the world, and I don't think I could live without you." The words were out of his mouth before he brain could even comprehend them. Why did he keep thinking things that he didn't even know he felt? How was that possible.

"You're the most important person to me to, and I don't think I could live without you either, Daddy." The child's eyes widened as he said daddy, and he suddenly looked scared. "I-I-I'm sorry, I didn't-"

Tomonori gently put a finger over the child's lips. "It's okay, Tsukasa. This is the second time you've called me that in about two hours. Did you not realize you said it earlier?" The child looked down at his lap.

"I did, but I feel asleep right after that so I didn't have time to think about it. You don't have to let me call you that. I understand if you don't want me," he said earnestly. Tomonori smiled softly, all doubts about the child calling him Daddy long forgotten.

"You can call me whatever you what, I don't mind, and that includes Daddy if that's what you like. It makes me feel kind of good when you call me that, like you're really my own and not some child that I found. It makes me feel like more of a father to you than before. Does that make any sense?" The child frowned in the dark and shook his head.

"So you really don't mind if I call you daddy?" Tomonori shook his head.

"Nope, I don't care. You can all me that, or you can't. It is your decision." Tsukasa curled back up to him, laying his head in the crook of his surrogate father's neck.

"Okay, Daddy."

Tomonori hugged him tightly and then tried to lay him back down five minutes later, but Tsukasa was having none of that. "I'm scared I'll have another nightmare? Can I sleep with you tonight?" Tomonori readjusted Tsukasa in his arms and carried him to his own room.

"Do you want me to make you another bed, or just sleep with me?" he asked the sleepy child.

"You," he mumbled into Tomonori's night shirt. The man shook his head at how quickly the child had became sleep after having been reassured that he would not be sleeping along. Tomonori climbed into bed with Tsukasa snuggled safely against his chest, and drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter Four: Case of the Missing Ice Cr...

**Author's Note: **Hello again! Did you miss me? Lol. I hope you enjoy going into Tsukasa's mind! Lol. I certainly had fun writing it, and amazingly I'm not even hyper! Anyway, onto responses!

**DarkAceGambit: **Thank you! Tell if you like going into Tsukasa's mind!

**Mif-chan: **This is much to cute to keep to myself, plus the feedback has been amazing for this so there's not way I'm keeping it to myself as long as the reviews keep coming.

**Capricorn Chaos: **Keep reviewing, and I will keep writing.

**Paranoid Stalker Loves Slash: **I always love your reviews! lol. Well, now you get a look into Tsukasa's mind in this chapter. Lol. I think you'll like, at least I hope you will. Lol. Thanks again!

**Aisu Dragoness: **Personally, I love it to! Lol. I usually don't like much of anything that I write, but I love the protective father scenes to, but I think the next couple may be more Tsukasa focused as you will see why once you read. Lol. Thanks for the review!

**Thanks so much for all reviews! I have 22 in 3 chapters! OMG! If you average that, that's 7 per chapter! Wow! Lol. That's the most I've ever had! Thank you!**

**Chapter Four: Case of the Missing Ice Cream**

Tomonori jerked awake as he felt something, more accurately someone, jumping on his bed. He rubbed his eyes before jamming his glasses on his face. He blinked at Tsukasa bouncing around on his bed. "Good," the child beamed, "you're finally awake! I've been waiting for you to get up for an hour already! Why do adults sleep so long?" He had stopped jumping and was now sitting atop Tomonori's chest, innocent curiosity plastered on his face. "Why do adults sleep so long?" he asked again. Tomonori difficulty shrugged his shoulders.

"Probably because we need more sleep than little kids, and we get more tired easily from chasing after our children," he said playfully reaching out and placing his hands on Tsukasa's rib, exactly on his tickle spots. The child didn't notice as he was thinking over his father's answer. Before Tsukasa could say anything, Tomonori began tickling the four year old, smiling goofily at Tsukasa's huge grin and squeals. He continued the attack until they were both were crying from laughing so hard. It took them a good ten minutes before they had stopped crying and was finally able to talk again. Tsukasa stretched before lying down on the man's chest still in bed.

"Do we have to go school, Daddy?" Tomonori glanced at the clock and groaned. School had started and hour ago.

"I don't know, child, we're already an hour late." Tsukasa's eyes widened, seemingly taking up half of his face. Tomonori couldn't help but chuckle at how comical he looked. Tomonori thought, he looks just like a chibi character out of a graphic novel. (A/N lol. I couldn't resist throwing in the cheesy pun. lol.)

"A whole hour! We better hurry then! We don't need to be any later than we already are!" Faster than you could say ice cream Tsukasa was off the bed and out of the room getting ready to change.

"Tsukasa," Tomonori called. "There's no need to hurry. They've survived an hour without us; they'll survive a little longer. We may not even have to go today, let me call and talk to the principal okay?" Tsukasa stopped in process of getting his shirt off and blinked at Tomonori. He frowned slightly, brow furrowing. Tomonori put his hand over his mouth to cover his smile. A minute later Tsukasa's face broke out in a huge grin.

"Okay, Daddy! Can I sit in the living room with out while you call so I can watch TV?" Tomonori nodded and headed to the living room.

"Just don't turn it up to loud. I have to be able to hear."

"Okay, Daddy," the child sang, the epitome of a morning person. Tomonori on the other hand, did not fell truly awake until he had a nice, strong cup of black coffee. He didn't see how Tsukasa could be so lively so early in the morning. He soon found his answer though while looking in the sink and then the freezer. There was a rather large bowl that had something that looked suspiciously like ice cream remains in it, and there was a half empty carton of ice cream in the freezer.

"Tsukasa," he said nonchalantly, "do you happen to know who ate half the ice cream that I bought two days ago?" He saw the child's eyes widen slightly and glance at him sideways. He looked slightly scared, but Tomonori could almost see a light bulb above his head as he smiled. He jumped up off the couch to look at Tomonori who was still standing in the kitchen with the half empty vanilla ice cream carton in hand, and the empty bowl in the other.

"I forgot to tell you about that! Last night, after I had my nightmare, I heard this sound. It didn't sound bad, or anything, just like little footsteps. I thought maybe a little kid has snuck in, but it turned out to be a elf! She was about this big," Tsukasa held hid hand a little above his head, "with red hair, brown eyes, and pointed green shoes. She had a green vest, and a green shirt, and, and, and..." He trailed of at seeing the look on Tomonori's face. "Do you believe me?" It was as if his whole body deflated as Tomonori shook his head? Tomonori set the carton and bow aside to bend down to the child's level.

"Now, why don't you tell me what really happened."

* * *

FLASHBACK TSUKASA POV

* * *

Tsukasa rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes, looked at his father, and the clock. Five a.m. He knew Daddy did not want to get up this early, but he was tried anymore. Okay, so maybe he was a little, but he didn't want to go back to bed. He looked at the clock again and then at his father. After a few minutes of deliberation he decided to lay back down and try to get a little more sleep, but he gave up this plan five minutes later. He carefully crawled out of bed and went into the living room. 

What to do, what to do, he sang in his mind. There was a limitless amount of possibilities dancing around in his four year old mind, but he didn't know which one to choose? Watch TV? No, it would too loud, and wake Daddy up. That would be good because Daddy would make him go back to bed, and he didn't want to go back to bed. Do something in his room. Nah, didn't sound like fun.

Suddenly he occurred to him what he wanted: food. He felt his stomach growl at the idea of it, but now for a tougher question: what in the world did he want? He couldn't do anything warm, because he know didn't know how to use the stove. It would be until much later that he would remember he could use the microwave.

Since it couldn't be warm, it had to be cold, but that still left him with the question of what he wanted to eat. He knew he wanted something sweet and sugary, but what did they have? He pulled a chair over to the freezer, pulled himself up, and looked into the icy cold fridge. It was a frost incased landscape of food to him. He moved stuff around before finally coming to what he wanted: ice cream!

What better early morning snack was there than delicious, cold, sweet, sugary, melt in your mouth ice cream? Nothing, that was the answer!

He quickly hoped off the chair, grabbing a bowl off the counter and a large spoon. He filled the large bowl the brim, placed the ice cream back in the freezer, and began to eat. He nearly screamed with delight at the first bite. It was so cold and smooth. It was exactly what he wanted, slipping sweetly down his throat, the vanilla and coldness blending together just as it was meant to be.

Halfway through the bowl he was almost bouncing up and down in his seat from all the sugar in his small body. He wanted to wake Daddy up so bad, he wanted to tell him how good the ice cream was, he wanted to share the joy with him, but knew it wouldn't be a wise choice since it was only five thirty. He finished the other half of the bowl. He placed the bowl in the sink, feet moving in some sort of jig, thinking he was done eating, but it was just so good! He had to have more, yes, that was it, he would have more! Ah ha! That was the answer! Of course, it was! More ice cream was always the answer!

Nodding to himself and murmuring, "Yes, yes, more ice cream, more ice cream," he got the carton down from the freezer and began to simply eat out of that. It was much easier than getting the bowl out of the sink. Finally, after twenty more minutes he decided to start putting everything up. He realized now that it might not have been such a good idea to eat half a carton of ice cream. His tummy was beginning to hurt a little, and he wasn't sure how much he was allowed to eat at one time.

Oh well, he thought, it was worth it! Ice cream is always worth it! "Always worth it, always worth it," he sang under his breath. "There's nothing better in the world, ohhh, ohhh, nooooooothing better in the world than ice cream! Yeah, yeah!" He looked at the clock and ran to Daddy's room to wake him, still singing.

* * *

END FLASHBACK TOMONORI POV

* * *

He couldn't hold in his laugher any longer as the child told him the song he had made up. It was so cute! He clutched his sides as he thought about it more, marveling at how innocent and simple the child had become in such a short amount of tim. "What?" Tsukasa spluttered. "What's so funny, Daddy?" Tomonori shook his head, unable to talk. Tsukasa stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "I don't think it's funny, and I don't like being laughed at. Stop laughing at me, Daddy! Stop it!" Tomonori forced himself to calm down at seeing the tears in the child's eyes. He gathered Tsukasa into his arms and squeezed him tight. 

"I'm sorry, you're just so cute. It's not a bad thing that I'm laughing at you, it's a good thing, and I'm not really laughing at you, I was just laughing at what you said." He kissed the four year old's head. "Okay?" Tsukasa was still pouting, arms crossed over his small chest, brow furrowed, but he nodded anyway.

"My tummy hurts." Tomonori snorted.

"That happens when you eat half a gallon of ice cream in one sitting, silly! You get a tummy ache from eating too much sugar!" he gently scolded. "There's nothing I can give you to make it stop hurting. You just have to wait it out." Tsukasa's bottom lip came out in a pout again.

"But it hurts. Why can't you give my anything to make it stop?" Tomonori set the child on his feet while getting dialing the school's number.

"Because they don't make any medicine that cure it. Go watch TV for a few minutes while I call the school, okay?" Tsukasa nodded.

"Do we have to go? I don't feel good." Tomonori nodded.

"Yes, and I hope this teaches you a lesson. You can't eat that much ice cream and not get a stomach ache. Oh hello, principal. This is Tomonori, I was calling to say I'll be in soon if it's alright that I bring Tsukasa Amou with me. Did you hear about what happened?"

"Yes, I did, and it's perfectly okay with me if you bring him, but of course he'll have to behave and not distract the class."

"Oh, of course, we'll be there in a little while. Good bye." Tomonori began to get the coffee ready while talking to Tsukasa.

"Go start getting ready, Tsukasa. I'll be there in a few minutes to help you get dressed." Tsukasa moaned.

"But my tummy hurts," he whined. "Can I stay home?" Tomonori shook his head.

"I have to go to school to work, and you have to come with me because there's no one here to look after you. Go on, go get dressed."

"But, I-"

Tsukasa stopped talking as Tomonori picked him up off the couch and carried him into his room. Tsukasa laid his head on Tomonori's shoulder and began to cry. Tomonori felt the child's tears leak through his shirt, and rubbed his back. "I know your stomach hurts, but you shouldn't have eaten all the ice cream at one time. Hasn't anyone ever told you not to eat too much at one time?" Tsukasa nodded miserably.

"Yes, but I forgot about it once I started eating." Tomonori chucked and shook his head.

"I'm sorry you're stomach hurts, but you have to come with me. You don't have to do any work though, okay? You're going to get Kaname, Naoya, and Mana though, doesn't that sound fun?" Tsukasa's face lit up at the mention of his friends.

"I do? Can I play with them?"

"Not during class because they'll have to listen to me, but we can probably work something out for after school, okay?" Tsukasa nodded eagerly.

"Okay!"


	5. Chapter Five: School and the Park

**Author's Note: **I am not going to review responses because my computer is being a butt and the internet won't stay connected long once it does decide to connect. It takes about ten tries before the stupid thing makes a connection. I will thank as many people as I can remember.

**Thanks to: **DarkAceGambit, Lexi Teniro- I'm so sorry I forgot you last chapter, Mif Chan, and there was someone with a pen name that had something to do with blue. I'm sorry I can't remember exactly, but I can't access my review right now, but thanks for the review! By the way, what does kawaii mean? Lol. Sorry, if that's a stupid question, but I honestly have no clue what it means.

**Paranoid Stalker Loves Slash: **You're the only who I could remember specifically what anyone said, so you're the only one who gets a response. You're the one that is psychic, not me! Serisouly! You guessed in like chapter two, or something what I had planned, and in your review of the last chapter I had seriously been thinking about letting Tomonori have a 'friend.' I even had a little scene planned out, and you guessed it! You're the one that is psychic. Thanks for the long review! I love long reviews, and I agree with the Golum thing even though I hadn't thought of that. Lol. Thanks again!

**To anyone who might be interest I'm thinking of doing a story similar to this, except that it would be Fruits Basket and it would Kyo and Yuki who would be little. Would anyone be interested in reading that? By the way, the 9th volume is sooooooooooo good, and I want the 10th one REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, BAD! Okay, sorry, just had to let you know that. Now, on to the story.**

**Chapter Five: School and the Park**

Tsukasa swung off Tomonori's arm as they made their way through the familiar halls of the high school. Tsukasa has forgotten his tummy ache momentarily at the prospect of seeing his friends again. They came to Tomonori's room and entered. It was in between classes so only a few students were there. Tomonori lifted Tsukasa up and sat him in his desk chair.

"Can you sit here and behave?" he asked seriously. Tsukasa nodded while placing his hand over his stomach.

"My tummy hurts," he complained for the tenth time. Tomonori answered for the tenth time.

"I know it does, and I'm sorry that you're in pain, but you shouldn't have eaten all that ice cream." He laid some coloring books, blank paper, and crayons in front of the child.

"But I love ice cream," he argued, "and it tasted really good. You like ice cream to you know." Tomonori sighed knowing this argument would go nowhere since it was about the fifth time they had had it that morning.

"Never mind that. While I teach classes why don't you color me some pretty pictures, or draw some for me?" Tsukasa seemed to consider before nodding and opening one of the books in front of him. Tomonori kissed the top of his head, thanking the lord that the child had done it quietly.

He stood in front of his desk as the last of his class filed in. He could whispers around the room and could much of the female population of his room oohing and awing at how cute Tsukasa was. He even one person remark on how much more like a girl Tsukasa looked now that he was younger.

"I'm sure all of you have heard about what happened yesterday in chemistry and that Tsukasa Amou is now a four year old instead of sixteen. He will be in the classroom everyday until he is returned to his sixteen year old self, and I do not expect any of you to use him as an excuse to not pay attention, understood?" They were nods around the room. Satisfied, Tomonori began his first lesson of the day.

Everyone knows that keeping the attention of teenager is very hard, but it seemed twice as hard that day. Tsukasa was an angel and only said something to him once he had handed out that night's homework and left the students to do it. Unfortunately, this was one the talking would start, the whispers, and note passing. Tsukasa apparently was just a good distraction to the students. He knew things would settle down after a few days and everyone was used to the change.

Finally, lunch came as they pair headed to the cafeteria. Tomonori had packed Tsukasa a lunch and hasn't planned on letting the child eat in the cafeteria, but he wanted to see his friends. Tomonori walked Tsukasa over to where Kaname, Mana, and Naoya were sitting. Tsukasa practically ran to them. Mana smiled and drew the child into her lap. Tomonori made his way over to them. The teens smiled politely up at him, and each said hello. "Would it be okay is Tsukasa ate lunch with you all? I told we would have to ask you all first before I let him.

"Oh course, it's okay. Do you want us to just bring him to class with us after?" The all three had Tomonori's class right after lunch.

"That would be fine, thanks. I wouldn't ask, but he wanted to see you all and I have a meeting I need to go to."

"It's no trouble," Kaname answered. "We'll bring him to class."

Tomonori kissed Tsukasa's forehead, and said, "Behave, and no ice cream, okay?" Tsukasa pouted, but nodded. He couldn't get ice cream in the school cafeteria anyway. Even though they were going to be in the same building Tomonori was reluctant to leave the child. He knew Mana, Kaname, and Itsuki were completely capable of handling any problem that might arise, but the overprotective side of him was telling him to take Tsukasa with him. He forced himself to tell the child good bye and head to his meeting.

Kaname watched his teacher's retreating back and shook his head. "He's certainly overprotective." Itsuki spoke between mouthfuls of food.

"What makes you say that?"

"Couldn't you tell that he was stalling for time by telling Tsukasa to behave and making small chat with us? He's reluctant to leave Tsukasa anywhere without him, even in the same building." Itsuki shrugged and went back to eating his food. Tsukasa had slid off Mana's lap and was now sitting in between her and Kaname, across from Itsuki.

He poured out his lunch from the paper bag Tomonori had given him and began to eat his sandwich. He punched the straw into the juice box that Tomonori had also placed in his lunch.

"Do you like bring little, Tsukasa?" Mana asked. Tsukasa immediately nodded.

"It's kind of odd, but fun. This morning before Daddy got up I ate a half a gallon ice cream! It was so yummy, but I got a tummy ache from it. I wanted to stay home, but Daddy said I had to come because there wasn't anyone to watch me." All three teens' eyes had widened when Tsukasa said how much ice cream he had eaten.

"Did you really eat half a gallon of ice cream?" Itsuki asked, amazed. Tsukasa nodded proudly. "And I didn't even give him any coaching," Itsuki laughed.

"But my tummy doesn't hurt anymore."

"That's good, it always horrible to come to school when you don't feel good, but at least you don't have to do any work," Itsuki muttered darkly as lunch ended and they headed for Tomonori's room.

When they reached the classroom, Tsukasa sat back down at Tomonori's desk and began to color again. Tomonori had known this would be the hardest class to control since they all knew Tsukasa, or at least knew he was, but he never would've thought it would as bad as it was. He couldn't teach at all for all the questions everyone was asking Tsukasa. After ten minutes he gave up, but was determined to get the class into some sort of order.

"This is how it's going to work. All of you are going to shut up. If you want to ask Tsukasa a question, or anyone a question, you will raise your hand and wait until I call on you, got it?" He didn't wait for any nods as almost everyone's hand was already in the air. He pointed at the person nearest to him, and was shocked at what was asked.

"Have you let sensei see you naked yet?" Tomonori blinked, and glared at the student.

"All of you keep in mind that the question must be appropriate for class, and junk." The student wilted, and quietly mumbled, "Sorry. Can I ask a different question?"

"No," Tomonori answered simply, still glaring.

"But I do think you're taking it the wrong way. I mean, like, for a bath, or something. Can he still do those things on his own, or does he need your help with those kinds of things?" Tomonori kept his glare in place. He knew that was not what the student had meant, but didn't say anything.

"I do believe everyone wanted to ask Tsukasa question, not me." He was satisfied to see the student swallow before Tsukasa took the chance to speak up.

"I can't do that on my own anymore. I can't do a lot of things now, like reach the cabinet without getting a chair, and even then I have to stand on the counter to reach the bowls," the child answered simply, basking in all the attention he was getting.

"So that's how you got the bowl. I was wondering, and how did you get the ice cream? The freezer is almost as high as the cabinets." Tsukasa blushed lightly, and looked down at his lap.

"I put the dictionary on the chair and stood on both of them." Tomonori shook his head and chuckled.

"At least you're a resourceful child." Tsukasa grinned as he realized his father wasn't mad.

The questions continued all class period, and Tomonori decided it would be better to just so this for the rest of the day and give his classes a review sheet on stuff they had already covered. He had talked to Mana, Kaname, and Itsuki earlier in the day and they had agreed to go with him to take Tsukasa to the park and play. Tomonori hadn't the child this yet knowing that if he did Tsukasa wouldn't be able to sit still for the rest of the day. The rest of the day pasted uneventfully and soon it was time to leave for the park.

Tsukasa ran ahead of him, now holding onto Mana's hand begging her to take him on the merry-go-round. Tomonori settled down on a bench nearby to watch as Mana and Tsukasa settled down on the merry-go-round. Itsuki and Kaname each grabbed a handle on it and began running in circles to get the ride going. (A/N: what exactly can I call that. It takes to long to write out merry-go-round about fifteen times.) They both jumped on at the last minute. Tomonori smiled at Tsukasa's sequel of delight as it went round and round and round and round. The man was child Tsukasa could handle it. Just looking at it made him dizzy. He took out some papers he had brought with him and began to grade them.

Twenty minutes later Tomonori was pushing Tsukasa on the swings with Mana, Kaname, and Itsuki beside him. Tsukasa was chattering his head off, but Tomonori was only half paying attention. Just hearing the child's voice was enough for him. "Daddy, can I get down now? I wanna go get a drink." He pointed over at the water fountain a few feet away. Tomonori stopped the swing that was about three feet to high for the child, set him on the ground, and watched him run over to the water fountain.

"Everyone got ask Tsukasa how he was dealing with being little, but how are you dealing with him being little?" Mana asked swinging gently. Tomonori took his eyes off Tsukasa to look at the three teens that were looking at him expectantly.

"I was a little overwhelmed at first, but I love it. he's completely adorable, and-" He stopped mid sentence, and color drained from his face as Itsuki spoke.

"Where did Tsukasa go? He's not at the water fountain anymore."

Tomonori's eyes immediately went to the water fountain not more than ten feet away. He forced himself to breath as he scanned the surrounding areas. There weren't many people out today, about five other children and parents, and Tsukasa was no where to be seen. "Tsukasa?" Tomonori yelled. It wasn't at the top of his lungs, but certainly loud enough that it carried over the small park. "Tsukasa!" he yelled again, voice louder and panic obvious in his tone. He strode across the park, calling Tsukasa's name, and looking all over the place.

Ten minutes later he thoroughly searched the whole park, but there was still no sign of the child. Tomonori could feel his breath catching and knew he was panicking, but didn't care. Someone had taken his son, his precious little boy. Who in the world would be cruel enough to do that? He was about to loose it when a woman approached it.

"Excuse me, but you are you looking for?" she asked politely. Tomonori forced himself not to yell at the woman.

"My son, he's four years old, about this high, blonde hair and blue eyes. (A/N Does Tsukasa have blue eyes? I don't even know! And I don't feel like going to check. Oh well, they're blue now.) Have you seen him?" The woman nodded. "Really, you have? Which way did he go?"

"He didn't go any way. A man came over to him at the fountain, said something to him, picked him up, took him to his car, and drove off. He had just left about the time you noticed he was missing." Tomonori thought his heart was going to burst through his rib cage.

"He was driving a blue mini van, a Honda, looked to be early to mid thirties, short brown hair, and brown eyes. He didn't seem like a very friendly man, but since you didn't say anything when he took the child I figured you knew him. Do you know anyone that fits the description?" Tomonori shook his head, the only thought registering in his head was that someone had taken Tsukasa from him.


	6. Chapter Six: Sakura and Omotashu

**Author's Note: THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I do not know the exact amount, but I know it's a lot for only 5 chapters. Sorry this update took a little longer than usual, but I posted a Fruits Basket story and updated that one first since it was begging to be written, so if you like Fruits Basket go read it! It's kind of like this one, with Yuki and Kyo being little.**

**Thank you all again! Please keep sending reviews! And just because I have another story going does not mean I won't update this. I've had four stories going at once before, so two is so biggy. Lol.**

**Chapter Six: Sakura and Omotashu**

Tsukasa tried to blend in with the seat, pushing back as far as he could, fear running through him, tears rolling down his cheeks. He looked fearfully at the man in front of him, driving. He had come up to him at the water fountain and had said that if Tsukasa didn't come peacefully with him, he would kill him. Tsukasa had seen the gun in hand, and the malicious look in his eyes. He had obediently gone with him, not even looking back at Tomonori.

Now he was buckled in the back of his car, cheek stinging painfully where the man has slapped him. Tsukasa had started sobbing, and the man had slapped him hard saying that he needed complete silence to drive, and had asked the small child if he wanted them to crash and die. Tsukasa had managed to stop his sobs, and was now crying silently. The man looked at him in the review mirror.

"You're perfect; my wife will love you. I won't hurt you again as long as you don't start that ridiculous sobbing. My wife loves little children, especially blondes, and you look so much like a girl." Tsukasa say the panicked looked in the man's eyes before he looked back at the road. "You are a boy, aren't you? I forgot to check this time. Oh man, she's gonna kill me." Tsukasa swallowed trying to slow his tears.

"I-I'm a boy, sir," he said, voice trembling. The man let out of whoosh of air.

"That's a relief. My wife would kill me if a got a girl this time. We just had a girl, and she wanted a boy this time, but man that girl was horrid. Never did what we said, always complaining to go home. We got rid of her quick, but she got a new one today, just like I did." Tsukasa didn't say anything, remembering what the man said about needing silence. Obviously, his own voice didn't count as noise, and what did he mean that they got rid of the little girl? "You're not going to be like that, are you? I can tell. You're going to be a good boy, and survive." The man looked at Tsukasa in the rearview mirror again. Tsukasa, sensing the man wanted an answer, nodded. The man smiled at him, showing white teeth, but the smile held no warmth. Tsukasa was filled with dread as he smiled. "Yes, you're going to be a good boy."

* * *

Tomonori closed the door quietly, exhausted. It was only the second day of Tsukasa being a four year old, and he already lost him. He rubbed at his face, trying not to cry. He had been at the police station answering their endless questions, while wanting to burst into tears the whole time. Mana, Kaname, and Naoya had stayed with him as long as they could, but eventually they had all had to go him, leaving him to return home alone. 

He could see traces of Tsukasa, his sixteen and four year old self, everywhere. Even in just a day he could a ton of things that the four year old had done. He walked into the kitchen, intending to brew a cup of strong coffee, and saw the dictionary still sitting on the chair. He gently lifted it up thinking on what the child had said earlier about how he gotten the ice cream.

Had it really only been earlier that day? It seemed like a life time ago. _Where are you?_ He thought. _Why did you go with that man? Why didn't you scream for me, or just simply scream?_

Tomonori was no longer able to hold back his tears, thinking of the child's simply explanation of how he had managed to get the ice cream and bowl that had given him a stomachache.

"_I put the dictionary on the chair and stood on both of them."_

Tomonori couldn't hold back a sob. _That_ _was your only problem then. The only thing you cared about was how to get the ice cream, and now some stranger, some pervert, has kidnapped and is doing God knows what to you._

_Please, God_, he prayed, _please protect my little angel._

* * *

Tsukasa was silent as they drove on. He didn't know how long they had been driving, but it had been a very long time and they were very far away from home. _What if_ _Daddy can't find me? What will I do then? I can't stay with this man. He's nuts._ The child wrapped his arms around himself, trying to not even think about never going back home. Daddy would find him. Daddy had to. He would go to the police and they would find him. They did this kind of thing all the time. 

"We lost both of our children, a boy and a girl," the man spoke, "in a fire at their pre- school. They were fraternal twins. You couldn't ask for better babies, or children. They hardly ever cried when they were first born. They only did if they were really sleepy, hungry, or felt bad. They hardly ever gave us any trouble. Sakura, that was my little girl, she was so pretty. Everyone said so. Sakura means cherry blossom, did you know that? My wife loves cherry blossoms.

"My boy, Omotashu, he was so handsome. He was always smiling at everyone, especially when he was a baby. Everyone loved him. He was willing to help anyone at anytime. He had such a gentle heart. He wouldn't have hurt a fly." Tsukasa listened patiently, marveling at how soft and gentle the man's voice was. "But some sicko killed them both," he said voice turning almost to a growl, laced with hate and bitterness. "The creep set the school on fire, knowing it was a children's school, and killed them. He killed my boy and girl!" The man was almost screaming, scaring Tsukasa more. His voice turned gentle again.

"You look like him, my little boy. You look so much like him, but my boy didn't look like a girl. My wife will be pleased. You even have the same eye color as Omotashu did." Tsukasa looked back out the window as they turned into a drive way. Out the window he could see a house, very much unlike the apartment he and Tomonori lived in. The man turned the car off, got out, and opened Tsukasa's door. The child tried to unbuckle himself, but couldn't. Kureno quickly undid the belt and helped him down.

Tsukasa held Kureno's hand as they went up the walk way, not having any other choice as the man would not release him. Night had fallen in the time they had been driving, and the four year old was beginning to get scared of the shadows dancing over him, but he was even more scared of the man who he now had to live with.

Tsukasa followed behind him into the house and looked around. It was a modest house, not small, but not big either, with a set of stairs to the left and a living room to the right. "Rin?" the man called. Tsukasa distantly heard a woman's voice answer from upstairs. He was shocked as the man scooped him up in his arms. Tsukasa stiffened, suddenly scared. What were these people going to do to him? What if they hurt him more?

At the top of the stair was a hallway with doors on each side. Tsukasa could see one door was open at the end. Kureno headed towards that one with Tsukasa still in his arms. There was a woman sitting on the bed, with a children's book in her hand that she had obviously been reading to the little girl tucked under the pink covers.

The girl had dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She looked at Tsukasa, eyes filled with fear and wonderment. Tsukasa tried to smile at her, but his face wouldn't obey. The woman had black hair and cold, honey colored eyes, but her face lit up as she saw Tsukasa. "Oh, Kureno, he looks so much like Omotashu! Where did you find him?" The woman, Rin, stood up to take Tsukasa out of Kureno's arms.

Tsukasa didn't want to go to the woman, but knew he didn't have a choice. If he resisted something horrible would happen. That's what the man had said earlier in the car or something like that. He couldn't remember exactly, and the little girl in the pink bed seemed to be warning him that it was vital to do what they said. The woman held Tsukasa tightly, forcing him to lay his head on her shoulder. He could hear Kureno talking to his wife behind him, and felt the man's hand on the small of his back.

The little girl was moving around in the covers, trying to show him something. Tsukasa forced himself not to gasp, the girl warning him with her eyes to stay silent, as he saw the cuts crossing her arms, raw and fresh. It looked like there was writing on her arms, but from his distance at the door he couldn't see them.

What had happened to her? Had these people done that to her, or had they forced her to do it to herself? He knew it certainly wasn't by accident. You couldn't get perfectly straight lines, parallel to each other crisscrossing your arms like that, by some freak accident. Someone had to do it to you, or you had to do it to yourself.

The girl pulled her pajama sleeves back down and slid under the covers. Tsukasa tried to understand what she was so desperately trying to tell him, but couldn't. Rin's words now reached his ears. "You get Sakura to bed, and I'll get the new Omotashu broke in." Kureno nodded as Rin left the room with Tsukasa in her arms, the child's head still on her shoulder.

Tsukasa couldn't push down the dread building in his stomach. What did break him in mean? What was she going to do to him? Was it the same as breaking in a new pair of shoes? He looked around as he was sat down on the ground. He was in their white bathroom. He didn't have long to around as his shirt was pulled over his head. He almost tried to grab it back, but remembered Kureno's warning in the car, and the sad, scared look in the girl's eyes.

He shivered as the rest of his clothes were taken off. He stood there with nothing on, shivering at the cold air hitting his body, as she turned on the faucet at the tub. Tsukasa noted that she only turned on the hot water. She walked over to a closet that he hadn't noticed, pulled open the door, rummaged around, and then pulled back with a thick leather belt in her hand. Tsukasa eyed it warily as she came and knelt in front of him. He also eyed the huge buckle that was on it.

He reluctantly looked at her having no where else to look but at the floor, except he couldn't do that either. She was holding his chin tightly, to tightly. "This will only hurt for a couple of weeks, and I don't like doing this, but if I don't you won't obey me will you?" She said it so logically, so matter-of-the-fact, that Tsukasa almost believed her. That whatever had to be done with the belt, was for his own good, but then he saw the hate in her eyes. "If you even try to resist, or even think about it, I'll do this every day for the next two weeks," she spat, spit spraying over his face. Tsukasa nodded numbly, scared beyond words. What was going to happen?

She folded the belt in half, leaving the buckle on top. He suddenly felt very exposed and embarrassed to be standing naked in a stranger's bathroom, getting threatened. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the first blow land, not wanting to see her face. And the first blow did land, on the front of his shin bone. He couldn't stop the cry from leaving his lips as pain exploded up and down his leg, and he almost collapsed. He somehow knew collapsing, or making any other sounds, would not result in anything good. She smiled wickedly at his pain, watching satisfied as the tears began streaming down his cheeks. He saw her pull the belt back behind her, and closed his eyes again. He kept his eyes closed the whole time, biting the inside of his cheeks and tongue to keep from crying out as she continued to beat him. She stopped halfway through to turn off the water.

Tsukasa was amazed at how first and hard she could hit. Soon, every inch of his body was screaming in pain, and he could taste blood in his mouth from biting it so hard. He could also feel where the belt had broke through the skin in numerous places over his body and she picked him up, now acting like a loving mother, and lowered him into the scolding water. He managed not to cry out as the water hit his open sores, but couldn't help whimpering. Rin, still in the role of loving mother, gently stroked his head. "I know it hurts, but the warm water will disinfect the sores. I'll let some of it out after a few minutes, and add cold water, okay?" she said gently, looking sympathetically at him, acting as if she hadn't caused all the pain he was in.

Tsukasa wanted to shout at her that the water was more than a little warm, and that she was a psycho. He would've have preferred her to stay in the mean, horrible role than to switch roles so completely and suddenly the way she had. She was beating him with a belt one minute and then was acting like he was the sweetest thing in the world. What was wrong with her? True to her word though she did let the scolding water out and added cold, letting Tsukasa stay in the tub for thirty minutes. She washed him, dried him, and then tucked him into bed still playing the role of loving mother.

* * *

Mana sighed and lay down in her bed. She could feel that something was wrong with Tsukasa, but where was she? Her connection to him as his master had weakened since he had been turned into a child, but it was still there, and it was still working. Now she only had to wait for something horrible enough to happen so she would know where he was. 


	7. Chapter Seven: A VERY Short Chapter

**Chapter Seven: A VERY Short Chapter in which Major Plot Things Happen**

Tsukasa silently ate the cereal placed in front of him while Rin, his now acting mother, bustled around the kitchen making Kureno breakfast before he went to work. Apparently kidnapping little kids was not his day job, as Tsukasa had quickly discovered. He brought the spoonful of cereal to his mouth, managing not to grimace as his muscles protested movement. He was black and blue all over from Rin's beating. All of the bruises were conveniently hidden under his clothes.

Kureno stood up from the table, folded his paper, took a sip of coffee and kissed Rin on the cheek. Tsukasa wanted to throw up at the normalcy of this. To an outsider it would seem like a normal family, the husband going to work, kissing his wife and children good bye before leaving, giving his children a warning to behave and do as their mother told them. Tsukasa wanted to hit the man as he kissed the top of his head. Only Daddy was allowed to kiss him, not this psycho man who now held his life in his hands.

* * *

Mana had spent a fitful night in bed, having strange dreams about a house somewhere with a wife, husband, and a boy and a girl living in it. She didn't know if it was connected with Tsukasa's kidnapping, and if it was she had no idea where the house was. She forced herself to get ready, and trudged to school. The day seemed impossible knowing that Tsukasa was out there somewhere in trouble. She felt like she could go to him, but she didn't know where he was. Finally, during lunch, something happened and she knew where he was.

* * *

Tsukasa fearfully looked at the woman, with the knife in her hand. "Now, this won't hurt that much, I promise, and I don't want to do this, but you've been a naughty boy. You are now Omotashu, I am your mother, and Sakura is your sister. Kureno is your father, and you are to call us that and only that. This will teach you a lesson." Tsukasa remembered the scars crisscrossing the girl's, Sakura as he was to call, wrists and fear began running through his veins.

He managed not to grimace as the woman made the fist cut along his wrist. The knife was sharp, thankfully and cut the skin cleanly with the barest of the touches. It stung painfully, but as long as none of them were to much worse than this it would be okay.

But it wasn't going to be okay. Half way through the child's 'punishment' her hand slipped, her legs giving out beneath her. The knife slipped deep into the child's arm, narrowly missing his vein. Tsukasa screamed as pain flared up and down his arm, a three inch long gash now in his arms. The knife had also gone sideways, making the cut and inch wide. Tsukasa began to feel light headed as the woman grabbed a towel and tried to stem the flow of blood.

It was no use. The blood soaked through the rag and spilled onto the floor. Tsukasa was getting more scared by the second, and so was the woman. She was crying now, pressing down hard on Tsukasa's arm trying to stop the blood. Tsukasa's vision swam as everything began spinning, blending in with each other. He could hear the woman talking to herself, crying, and the saw the blood pouring from his arm, slipping onto the floor. There was so much of it, so much blood…

* * *

Mana gasped as an address flashed into her head. Kaname and Itsuki looked at her. "What is it? Do you know where Tsukasa is?" She nodded her head and jumped up, going to get Tomonori. The man had come to school that day, saying it was too painful to stay at home without Tsukasa. The teens ran to his office, burst through the door, gasping. 

"I know where Tsukasa is!" Mana gasped as the man jumped out of his seat and followed them out of the school.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note: **I apologize for the shortness, but I am leaving for camp on Sunday afternoon, and I do not have time to get a decent length chapter out. I know this is a horrible place to leave it, but it's the only want I can think to end it. THERE WILL BE NO UPDATED UNTIL THE 20TH. I will be getting back from camp on the 17th, but I don't usually write on the weekends and I'm going to tired anyway, so look for an update sometime around the 20th.

THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! I had 42 the last time I checked, and that number is probably still the same. Thank you so much! That's the most I've ever gotten in only six chapters! That's seven for each chapter! Thank you so much!


	8. Chapter Eight: Rescue

**Author's Note:** I know it's not the twentieth, but it's not my fault. I had planned on updating yesterday, but it didn't happen. My Internet decided to be a butt and wouldn't do anything, and I was mad already because the manga CD of Fruits Basket that I got wouldn't work, but I have good news! I can do Review Responses again. It won't disconnect me because we switched out computers and have a free trial of a really old AOL version. Also, I didn't go to camp because my friend backed out on my, but I didn't feel like writing last week and took the week off I guess you could say. But here's the chapter, and I hope you like it!

I HATE IT WILL NOT LET ME SEE STATS, OR DO HARDLY ANYTHING, AND NOW I CAN'T DO REVIEW RESPONSES! I'M GOING TO KILL SOMEONE!

**Chapter Eight: Rescue**

Tomonori leapt out of his car as Mana screamed, "That's it!" Fear for his precious, little boy consumed him. They had driven well past the speed limit, but after quickly explaining the situation to the cop who had pulled them over a motorcade had escorted them. Tsukasa's picture had been plastered on TV and newspapers. Everyone knew of the pretty, lost, little boy.

Tomonori flung the door open, thanking God that it was unlocked. "Tsukasa?" he screamed running up the stairs he spotted. "Tsukasa?" he yelled again. He stopped in the hallway, listening for any kind of sound. He could hear a noise down the hall, a cross between a yell and a sob. "Tsukasa?" he said again, softer this time. He heard something down the hall, a new voice. "Tsukasa?" he whispered hoarsely beginning to run down the hall. He came to an open door and froze.

There was a woman on her knees rocking back and forth making the first sound that the man had heard. Lying at her feet was Tsukasa in a pool of blood around his arms. He could see a huge gash on the child's arm. There was a knife near the woman, bloody. He could see the child's chest moving steadily up and down. He thought the child had passed out from blood loss and pain, but Tsukasa turned his head to investigate the new sound. He looked at his surrogate father, eyes exhausted and full of pain.

"Daddy?" the child said quietly, disbelievingly. He had to be seeing things. How could Daddy be here? He had thought he had seen him earlier, but he had been seeing things and his daddy has disappeared when he had tried to touch him, to snuggle into his warm, safe arms. "Daddy, are you really here, or are you going to disappear again?" Tsukasa tried to move, to go to his father, but pain shot through his body, stiff from lying on the floor for so long and dizzy from the blood loss. He collapsed back on the floor as Tomonori came out of his trance and ran forward, falling to his knees at the child's side.

"It's okay now, I'm here, and everything's going to be okay. I'm here and I'm real." He turned his face away from the child and screamed to the police, Mana, Kaname, and Itsuki that he had found him. Soon footsteps were pounding on the stairs, following Tomonori's instruction as to where he was.

"Daddy," Tsukasa whispered again, tears running down his cheeks again. His father was really here, he was really here. He could feel the man's hand on his head, gently petting his hair and stroking his face. "Daddy, it hurts. Everything hurts. I don't like her. She's scary, mean, and she hurt me. Please," he said beginning to sob, "don't let her hurt me anymore."

Tomonori wanted to scoop the child into his arms, but was afraid it would only hurt him more. He settled for leaning in close, laying his head lightly on top of the child's head, stroking his hair and face, the only parts he dared touch. "She's not going to hurt you anymore, I promise. I'm not going to let her. We're going to get you out of here and make you all better, okay? It's okay now; no one's going to hurt you."

The man looked up as several paramedics came through the door and began to examine the child. Tomonori stayed at the child's head. No one asked him to leave, and he wouldn't have even if they had told him to. He was never going to leave Tsukasa's side again.

Tsukasa watched the paramedics examining him, wondering what they were going to do to him. He had heard horror stories about all the horrible things doctors and nurses did. They were talking to each other, using a bunch of medical terms that was beyond the child. He settled for closing his arms and leaning in toward his father's touch, ignoring whatever they were doing to him. He finally heard them addressing his father and decided to pay attention.

"We've got him on a morphine drip for the pain. He's going to need stitches on his arm, and he's lost a lot of blood, but he'll make it. He's going to extremely sore from what I can see of the bruises on him, but in a few weeks he'll be good as new." Tomonori nearly wept with relief, but didn't think it would help the child to see him break down into tears.

"Sakura," the child said, word slurred from the morphine entering his system making him even more tired. Tomonori looked down at him.

"Sakura? Is than someone's name, sweetie?" Tsukasa nodded, fighting off sleep. He had to tell them about her. She needed help to.

"She's here to. They're mean… to her to. You have to… help her."

"It's okay, Tsukasa," he heard his father say, eyes closing again. "The police are going to search the whole house. She'll be fine, just go to sleep now, okay?" Tsukasa nodded lightly as he felt himself being lifted. It only hurt a little to be moved thankfully, and then felt himself being put on something. He wanted to see what it was, and tried to open his eyes, but they stayed closed.

"Daddy," he whispered quietly, almost to soft for Tomonori to hear.

"It's okay, I'm right here. I'm not going to leave you ever again. Go to sleep now, baby, you need your rest." Sleep certainly was inviting, but he had to know that his father was going to stay with him.

"Hold… hand," he whispered, trying to lift his hand. Tomonori clutched the child's hand tightly, while keeping his other one on the child's head still gently stroking his hair as the paramedics lifted the gurney into the ambulance. Once they were settled inside and the vehicle was moving, Tsukasa feel asleep reassured that his father was not going to leave him any time soon.

Tomonori sighed in relief as he saw the child's breathes even out as he feel asleep, holding his hand, stroking the top side of it with his thumb. One of the paramedics was starting the stitches on the child's arm. "Exactly how bad off is he?" he asked. One of the other paramedics answered.

"He'll survive. The cut is deep, but he didn't seem to lose too much blood. We can't really now exactly how much until we get to the hospital. He may need a blood transfusion just to be on the safe side. I think that woman there stopped the bleeding. There were a lot of blooded rags in there. I can tell you that saved his life. If she hadn't at least slowed the bleeding we would be having an entirely different conversation right now." Tomonori nodded, finally allowing all of his pent up tears to roll down his cheeks. The one doing the stitches looked up briefly and smiled.

"I don't how you held those in for so long. If it were my kid I would've being bawling my eyes out the whole time no matter how upset it made the kid. I've got a little girl about his age so this is kind of freaking me out. Always seems to hit hard if someone we're helping is about the age of one of our family members, especially our children." Tomonori knew the man didn't expect him to answer. He stared down at Tsukasa, now sobbing. He had managed to regain some self-control over himself by the time the medic was finished with Tsukasa's arm. "He's going to need to stay at the hospital for a few days for observation, but you should be able to take him home by the end of the week if everything goes as it should." Tomonori nodded, taking a deep breath to calm him. He was going to be all right, they both were.

Tsukasa slept through the rest of the day, and all night. He knew that the morphine being pumped into his body through the IV in his hand played a part in it, but he was content to simply stay by his bed and watch him sleep. The cops did come by after a few hours to ask him some questions. They told him they there had been five other children in the house, all alive, but just barely. The little girl Tsukasa had told them to find was also in the hospital, for observation, and her family was with her. The cop had told him that they had been trying to find this couple for years now. He had also told Tomonori that they had found several bodies of the missing children, and as tragic as that was, it would at least provide some closure for their families, no matter how horrible that closure was. Tomonori was just thankful that Tsukasa had been of the six alive children.

The man dozed off and on resting his head and Tsukasa's bed, never letting go of the child's hand. Mana, Kaname, and Itsuki had been by once to see about him, but they hadn't stayed long sensing that Tomonori had wanted to be along with his son, but he wasn't as alone as he hoped he would be. It seemed like there was always a doctor, or nurse coming into the room, making small talk, checking one of the machines the child was hooked up to, and then leaving. He was awoken several times after falling asleep by some infernal nurse coming in to check something, or to change of the of the bags attached to the IV. They had given Tsukasa a blood transfusion just to be on the safe side and to help him heal faster.

It was ten the next morning when Tsukasa finally woke up. The morphine drip had been taken away in the wee hours of the morning, but the nurse had told him that it would take a little while for the painkiller to leave the child's system. His eyes were still groggy, but were no longer filled with the utter exhaustion from the night before, or filled with pain. Tomonori set up straighter and gently stroked the child's cheek. "Hi, sleepy head," he gently teased, smiling. Tsukasa smiled at hearing his voice, and turned slightly toward him, wincing. "Just stay still for now. You've got a lot of bruises all over, and I'm not going anywhere." Tsukasa opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. "Are you thirsty?" Tsukasa nodded, lifting a hand to rub at his eyes, massaging the sleep away as Tomonori went across the room to the ice chips the nurse had left him. He pressed the nurse button on the child's bed before settling down to feed Tsukasa the ice chips.

A few minutes later the nurse bustled in, smiling. Tomonori recognized her from the night before. She had a warm personality, and had been the least annoying of all the ones he had met. Someone had told him that she was good with kids and would be perfect for Tsukasa. She smiled warmly at Tomonori before turning to Tsukasa. "Hi there, little one. How are you feeling?" She moved to check something while Tsukasa answered.

"Sore. Everything hurts a little, but not too much. My arms itches though, but I don't think I should scratch it." He lifted up his arm with the stitches in it, looking at it curiously.

"You're right in thinking that you shouldn't scratch at it. You might pull one of the stitches lose, and that would not be a good thing. Is there anything that really hurts, or are you just kind of sore?" Tsukasa thought about this, stretching a little.

"Just sore. Do you know how Sakura is? She was there with me, at that house." He looked between his father and nurse at his side. Tomonori answered.

"She's fine. She's here to for observation. Her family's here to so she's with them, she's fine, don't worry about her." Tsukasa nodded, happy that she was okay and was back with her family.

"Is there anything you want me to get you? A Popsicle maybe? I can make a slushie out of it if you want, and we do have ice cream." Tsukasa immediately nodded, while Tomonori laughed. Tsukasa turned to his father.

"I can have it, can't I?" He sounded slightly worried, only making his father laugh more. He didn't think he would ever be able to deny the child anything that he wanted.

"Of course you can have it," the man laughed, leaning forward to kiss the child's forehead.

"I want a lot, but I don't want to have a tummy ache. I don't like tummy aches." The nurse laughed this time to, smiling widely.

"I'll keep that in mind. We have chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. What kind do you want?" Tsukasa seemed to consider this for moment.

"Can I have a little of all of them? I really love ice cream. It's my favorite food," he declared happily. The nurse laughed again.

"I'll be back in a few minutes with his ice cream." Tomonori laughed and thanked her. He sighed and sat down on the side of the bed, next to the child. Tsukasa scooted closer and laid his head on Tomonori's knees.

"Daddy, can I sit on your lap?" Tomonori was surprised. He wouldn't have thought the child would ask permission to do something as simple as sitting on his lap.

"Of course you can. I hadn't done that yet on my own because I thought it might hurt you." Tsukasa had moved to his knees, arms outstretched for Tomonori to pull him onto his lap. Tomonori scooted over to lean his back against the pillows, curling his legs under him Indian style, settling Tsukasa in the gap, holding him tightly. Tsukasa leaned into him, laying his head in the crook of the man's arm.

"It was so scary there," Tsukasa started quietly. Tomonori stayed quiet, sensing that the child simply wanted him to listen right now, to understand. "She beat me the first night I was there. She said I was going to take a bath, and that she was going to 'break me in.' I didn't know what she meant until she took her belt off. She said that it would hurt, but that it was for my own good, that it would help me remember to obey her. I almost believed her, just for a second, but it wasn't for my own good. It… it was horrible. It hurt so much. I didn't have anything on, and she almost always broke the skin. When she was done she made me get in the bath, and the water was scolding hot. It was only hot water, she hadn't put any cold in. I've got a couple of blisters from that. She did let some of the hot water out after a little while and put some cold in, but it hurt."

Tomonori felt like his heart was breaking, hearing the child's sad voice, and sounding much more like his sixteen-year-old self than the four-year-old body he now occupied. Tomonori stretched his legs out in front of him, leaning against the pillows at his back while pulling Tsukasa up to his chest, letting the child lay on top of him, wrapping his arms around him. Tsukasa buried his face in the crook of his father's neck. He told Tomonori about everything else that had happened, how he had been kidnapped, and the drive there, about the man's story, Sakura, and everything that had been done to him. The nurse had come in once with the child's ice cream, but had left seeing the pair and catching some of Tsukasa's words.

Tsukasa was limp against Tomonori when he had finished the story, absorbing the warmth and safety that his arms offered. Tomonori's shirt now had a wet spot on it, but it wasn't the first time that had happened, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. Deciding to change the subject he asked, "Do you want your ice cream now? The nurse brought it in, but left seeing that you weren't ready for it." Tsukasa nodded, perking up a little at the thought of getting to eat ice cream again. He had only been gone about two days, but those two days felt like a lifetime to man and child.


	9. Chapter Nine: Scares

**Chapter Nine: Scares**

Tsukasa stretched out in his hospital bed flipping through the channels on the television, safely snuggled in his father's arms. It was his third day in the hospital and the child was beginning to become increasingly bored. He had played with all the buttons on his bed, moving it to every position possible. The child left it on some random station and curled close to his father, curling his aching hand closer to his body. The IV had slipped out of place and the nurse had had to take the old one out and put in a new one. It had hurt much more than he had expected it to.

Tomonori stroked the child's head, pulling him closer. "Your poor little hand," Tomonori muttered while gently lifting the child's hand to kiss Tsukasa's fingertips. "Does it still hurt?" Tsukasa nodded glumly, hand aching. "I'm sorry, it should stop hurting in a few minutes. Do you want me to put a video in?" Tsukasa shook his head.

"I want you to stay here," he said quietly, yawning. He was still on pain medication, but it wasn't as strong now. It made him drowsy though so he spent most of the time sleeping. The child closed his eyes, not willing to fight against the medicine in his blood stream. Tomonori stroked the child's head, hoping it would help him fall asleep. He didn't want to leave the child alone, but he had to use the bathroom so bad. He had only left the child's side when the kids were here, or when the child was asleep.

Ten minutes later, Tomonori began to untangle himself from the child pausing several times to make sure that Tsukasa was actually asleep. He made it out of the bed and quickly into the bathroom. The child had seemed to be sound asleep, but he couldn't be sure. The man jumped as he heard Tsukasa beginning to scream.

"Daddy! Daddy, where are you?" The sensei cursed in his mind. He was simply going to have to finish his business before he could leave the room.

"Tsukasa, I'm right here, I'm the bathroom, calm down. I'll be right out," he yelled hoping the child would hear him over his own yells. The child was getting hysterical and he was sure people in the rooms next to theirs could hear him.

"Daddy, where are you? You promised you wouldn't leave me." Tomonori's heart felt like it was breaking at Tsukasa's quiet voice.

"Tsukasa, I'm right here. I'm just in the bathroom," he yelled through the close door, hastily zipping up his pants as he heard the child moving around on the bed. "Stay on the bed," he yelled opening the door in time to see the child slide off the bed, tears streaming down his cheeks, shoulders shaking with sobs. Tomonori simply had to take one step forward to carefully pick the child up, mindful at the IV's in the child's body. He held the child close, sighing. At least he had accomplished his task.

He went back over the bed as a nurse came in. "Is everything okay here?" she asked looking at the pair. Tomonori nodded as he lay back down on the bed again, holding the child tight, rubbing his back.

"He just got scared when he woke up, and he couldn't see me. He'll be okay." The nurse accepted this explanation and left. Tomonori turned his attention to the terrified child in his arms. "Shh, it's okay, I'm here, and I didn't leave you. I just had to go to the bathroom really bad." He simply held the child, murmuring senseless words of comfort to him, waiting for him to calm down some.

Tsukasa stopped sobbing several minutes later, reassured by his father's warm, strong arms around him. "I was afraid Rin and Kureno were going to come back," he said quietly, tears still leaking out of his eyes. Tomonori held the child tighter and kissed the top of his head.

"Rin and Kureno will never touch you again. You will never even see them again unless you want to. They're in jail and won't be getting out for a very, very, very long time. You're safe. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, okay?" Tsukasa remained silent and still. "Okay?" Tomonori prompted, pulling back slightly to look at the child. Tsukasa nodded, eyes read and puffy, cheeks wet, still scared, and curled into his father's body.

Tsukasa was released from the hospital the following Friday with orders to take it easy, and he was to come back in two weeks to get the stitches out. Tsukasa was thrilled to get out of the hospital. He wanted to sleep in his home, in his father's bed, not the weird one at the hospital. Mana, Kaname, and Itsuki had all visited him as much as they could with school.

Tomonori sat the child down on the couch of their home, plopping down beside him. Tsukasa looked around and smiled. "I'm glad I'm home. The hospital was so stuffy," he said wrinkling his nose. Tomonori smiled at the child's face, pulling the child into his lap. He was surprised the child hadn't complained about constantly being held, or cuddled. Tomonori couldn't keep himself from almost constantly holding the child, reassuring himself that Tsukasa was actually there and that he hadn't dreamt it all up. He had come so close to loosing him already, and was determined not to give the opportunity for it to come again.

"Let's celebrate," Tomonori said abruptly, "that you're home and healthy." Tsukasa smiled brightly.

"Can I have ice cream?" he asked though he already knew the answer. Tomonori laughed.

"Of course you can have ice cream!" _I'd give you all the ice cream in the whole world,_ Tomonori thought, _and anything else that your heart desired._ Tomonori went into the kitchen getting down, plates, cups, and food with Tsukasa dancing around him, completely cheerful and seemingly unaffected by his two-day kidnapping aside from that one time in the hospital. He knew there was going to be instances like that, very small things that would make him remember something about his kidnapping, but they would deal with that when it came.

He brought the food into the living room and put one of Tsukasa's favorite movies in, putting an arm around the four-year-old to allow him to lean against his chest. The movie went off two hours later and Tsukasa was sound asleep, stomach full of junk food. Tomonori left him on the couch, the child's head in his lap, stroking his hair not wanting to move. He wanted to simply stay like this forever, gently stroking his son's hair, keeping the demons away from his precious child. After about half an hour Tomonori did pick the child up, his sitting position now uncomfortable. He brought the child into his own room, knowing that he wasn't ready to sleep alone. He had already promised the child earlier that day that he could sleep with him.

Tsukasa didn't even stir as his father changed his sleeping form and laid him on the bed. Tomonori brought in some of the papers he still had from the last time he had worked, along with some things the school had sent over. He didn't grade them for long though, sleep calling to him. He changed into his nightclothes and settled down beside his son.

They both woke up late the next morning, awoken by the sounds of footsteps on the stairs, people talking, and stuff being moved. Tsukasa was already wide-awake sitting up in bed, a worried and scared look on his face. Tomonori rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sitting up. He reached over and rubbed the child's back, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"Someone new is moving in. I don't want any new people," the child whispered, voice scared. Tomonori instantly saw the problem. He was scared that this new person was going to do to him the things that Rin and Kureno had done. He was fine when he was with father, or his friends, but he desperately didn't want anyone new in his life right now.

"Wait, it's not someone new, I just remembered. Did you remember meeting Ms. Shiraki before you were turned little? She was going to be teaching at the school, and we had her over for dinner one night." Tsukasa frowned and nodded. "She rented the apartment here, and I remember her telling me she was moving in soon so she's the one who's moving in. You know her, kind of, and I really don't think she would do anything to harm you, and besides, didn't I promise not to let anyone hurt you ever again?"

Tsukasa nodded at his father's statement, and he certainly did remember Ms. Amy Shiraki. He remembered how pretty she was; yet still unmarried, and how she and Tomonori had looked at each other during that whole dinner. He had even told Tomonori to ask her out on a date, that he wouldn't mind inviting her into their life. But he minded now. He didn't want anyone new, especially someone who could steal his father away from him. He snapped back to the present as his father began talking. "Tsukasa, is something else wrong?" The child immediately smiled hearing the concern in his father's voice. He didn't need to worry his father. He had other things to deal with. So what if he was terrified that Rin and Kureno would come back and that they haunted his every waking moment, and his sleeping ones? His father didn't need to know that. He shouldn't be a burden to anyone; if he acted like he was fine he wouldn't be a burden.

"Nothing's wrong, Daddy, I'm just not really awake yet." He put on his brightest smile, hoping his father would see through it, but expecting him not to. He expected him to see the pure terror, hurt, and worry in his eyes, but his father simply smiled and hugged the child before getting out of bed asking him what he wanted to eat.

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry the chapters are so pitifully short, but this is not wanting to be written. Hopefully, though with this new character things will go smoother, and since everyone was asking the last chapter was the end for some odd reason, I will tell you when it the end. I will write THE END at the end of the chapter, okay? I do not know how long this will be, but I defiantly need to work on it more since I have no clue how often I can update once school starts. I'll be a freshman, so I'm guessing not often with having to switch schools (again) and adjusting to all that crap in the humongous high school we have. One high school for the whole city, retarded people. Anyway, on to review responses!

**Manda: Yes, he was saved.**

**Lexi-Teniro: lol, I'm glad the 'Daddy' gets you every time. Thanks for the review!**

**Kisara0013: Well, he might have kicked her butt, but Tsukasa was hurt and concern over ruled the anger so… lol. **

**Lady Elbereth Tealrose: They will eventually get him back to normal, but it's going to take a LONG time. I haven't decided exactly how that's going to work, but it will.**

**Bluemecurry: Tsukasa will be little eventually, like I said before, it will a LONG time.**

**WhitePhoenix: Yes, I updated. The chapters aren't wanting to be written so it's taking a little while to write so sorry.**

**Miffy-chan: I've never had stitches actually so that's why he was asleep because I don't how to describe getting them.lol.**

**Sesshy's Goth: No, it wasn't the last chapter. The last chapter will not be coming for a while, and thanks for the review!**

**THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! The reviews for this story have been amazing! Eight reviews in one chapter! Thank you! I have 59! Thank you!**


	10. Chapter Ten: Back To Normal

**Chapter Ten: Back To Normal**

Tsukasa looked up as the doorbell rang. He stayed quiet remembering what Daddy had said about being quiet. He heard his father sigh again. Tomonori was lying on his bed, the lights off with a cold cloth on his head. He had woken up with a migraine. Kaname and Mana were supposed to be coming over to watch Tsukasa while he slept and gave the medicine time to work, but he had only just gotten off the phone with them, so he knew it wasn't them. The doorbell rang again causing the man to wince. He hadn't had a migraine in a long time and it had been even longer since he had one this intense. "Daddy?" he heard Tsukasa whisper very quietly. Thankfully the child hadn't questioned him about needing to be quiet, and he had simply obeyed the order.

"Mmm… just let the doorbell ring. Kaname and Mana will be over later, but that isn't them. If they really want to see us they'll come back later. Just lay down and be still until Mana and Kaname get here, okay?" He didn't hear the child say anything, but he did feel the mattress sink a little beside him and felt the child's hand in his. Tomonori laced his fingers with the child's as the boy gave his hand a comforting squeeze. The man squeezed the child's hand in return, telling him that he was okay. Tsukasa had been quite upset when he had found out that his father didn't feel good. He had wanted to make him feel better, but the man had reassured the child that he would be fine once he took some medicine and went back to bed. This had reassured the four-year-old somewhat, but he still wanted to make Daddy feel better just like Daddy had always made him feel better.

Tsukasa frowned as the doorbell rang again. Why wouldn't they just leave? Didn't they understand that they didn't want to see them? They needed to stop ringing the doorbell so Tomonori's headache would go away. Tsukasa listened intently and heard footsteps going across the hall. _Ms. Shiraki_, he thought. Of course it had been her. Why did she keep bothering them, asking for help hanging, or moving something? He didn't want anyone new in his life, especially not someone who might take his father away. Half an hour passed slowly as Tomonori dozed off and on, trying to stay awake until Mana-san and Kaname-san came to wake Tsukasa. Tomonori's hand jerked in Tsukasa's grip as the doorbell rang once again. "Go answer the door. It should be them now." Tsukasa slipped his hand out from his father's and slid off the bed. He padded softly to the front door and stopped.

"Who's there?" he called quietly so as not to hurt his father's head more, but still loud enough for the couple outside the door to hear.

"It's us, Mana and Kaname." Tsukasa smiled as he recognized his master's voice. He unlocked the door and opened it, smiling. Mana smiled cheerfully down at him before picking him up and giving him a big hug. "How are you doing?" she asked quietly.

"I'm fine," he said seriously, "but Daddy has a really bad headache, so we have to be quiet until he feels better." Mana carried the child into Tomonori's room so she could tell him that they were there. Tsukasa wriggled out of Mana's arms and sat down next to his father at the top of the bed, kissing the man's cheek. Tomonori opened his eyes and smiled fondly at the child. The man opened his arms and pulled Tsukasa down. He hugged the child tightly, and kissed the top of his head before letting Mana and Kaname take him.

"Once I'm asleep you can be a little louder. This medicine really knocks me out." His sentence was punctuated by a huge yawn affirming what he had just said.

"Don't worry about it," Kaname answered. "We'll keep the little squirt quiet." He tickled Tsukasa's sides getting a small giggle out of the worried child. Tomonori nodded, eyes closing again. The teens left the room bringing Tsukasa with them. They went into Tsukasa's room. Mana convinced the child to draw his father some pictures and then color some while she and Kaname did a little of the school work they had brought along, but were more than willing to put that aside for several minutes to help Tsukasa color. Coloring was always much more fun than any homework they had to do. Mana and Kaname fixed themselves and Tsukasa peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, and they each had a bowl of ice cream when the teens were unable to say no to Tsukasa's pleading. A couple of hours later, Tomonori woke up much to Tsukasa's delight.

"Does your head still hurt?" the child asked, his voice laced with worry. Tomonori smiled widely at the child, touched by how worried the child was over him.

"Nope, it's all better. The medicine works quickly. What have you done with Mana and Kaname while I slept?" Tsukasa told him and gave him the pictures he had drawn. Tomonori promptly hung them up on the refrigerator, making Tsukasa smile with pride that his father had liked them. He went back into the living room, Tsukasa holding his hand.

A couple of more days passed before Tomonori returned to school with Tsukasa in tow. The child stayed by his side the whole day, scared that he would be kidnapped once again. He had been doing much, much better, but that was at home when it was only he and Tomonori. Going back to school was the first time where he had been in a situation where there were a lot of people. After the first week he was okay with all the people and ate lunch with his friends, instead of his father. One thing he didn't like though was how much time his father was beginning to spend with Ms. Shiraki. She had been eating lunch with him at school and had dropped by their apartment several times already.

The child still didn't really like her, but was beginning to warm up to her. His father seemed to like her, and he was happy when he was with her. He was happy when he was with Tsukasa, but the child could tell that it was a _different _kind of happiness. As long as she didn't interfere with his time with Tomonori he wouldn't do anything to her. Not yet at least. They looked to be just friends, but Tsukasa doubted that it would stay that way for long. Tomonori was beginning to look at her the way that Kaname looked at Mana, and he knew those two were deeply in love. Did that mean that his father would have a new special someone in his life?

But Kaname and Mana still were friends with him even though they loved each other. They hadn't forgotten about their friends when they started going out. So if Tomonori started going out with Ms. Shiraki that didn't mean that he would forget about Tsukasa, did it? He would still play with him, and do all the things he did now once he started going out with Ms. Shiraki, wouldn't he? And the child knew that his father would end up going out with Ms. Shiraki. It was inevitable.

Tsukasa had come to that conclusion on his eighth day back to school, and it was also the eighth consecutive day that Ms. Shiraki had ate lunch with his father at school. "Daddy, what's Ms. Shiraki's first name?" Tomonori looked up from the paper on his desk. Tsukasa was sitting in his lap, face turned upward to look at this father.

"Her first name is Isuzu. Why do you ask?" Tomonori wrapped both his arms around the child as his next class started coming in. The four-year-old shrugged and smiled.

"Just wondering. Can I color?" Tsukasa turned to his father's desk looking for the crayons. Tomonori pulled open one of his drawers open and gave the crayons to the child along with some blank sheets of paper. He stood up as the last few stragglers came in. The school day ended and Tsukasa headed home. Tsukasa immediately went to the couch and turned on the TV wanting to watch his favorite show. Tomonori sat down beside him while pulling out some papers to grade.

Maybe he was moving things a little to fast. The child probably wasn't ready for someone new to enter their lives. It still hadn't been very long since he had been kidnapped, about two weeks. But he felt such a connection with her, something that he had never had with his few previous girlfriends. He felt like she was his soul mate. But Tsukasa came first. He was the number one person in his life, and was his first priority. If, after a while, the child still didn't like her he would have to call it off. The man shook his head as if to dispel his thoughts. He hadn't even asked her out, and he was already thinking that far ahead. He must have it really bad. He jumped as he felt someone pulling at his sleeve. He looked down at met Tsukasa's big blue eyes. (A/N I think this has come up before, but I don't know what color his eyes are. I made them purple in my painting, but I don't think that's the real color.) Tomonori smiled and took a big breath. "Tsukasa, you startled me. What is it? Is something wrong?" The child looked worried, a small frown on his face.

Tsukasa bit down on his lip, frowning deeper. He took a deep breath before saying, "Do you like Ms. Shiraki? Are you going to ask her out?" Tsukasa avoided looking at his father hoping that he wouldn't get in trouble. Maybe he shouldn't have asked that. Tomonori blinked, surprised, and looked down at the child. Had he noticed something between them? He moved the papers from his lap and scooped Tsukasa up in his arms. Dread was bubbling up in the child's stomach. What if Daddy really was mad at him for asking that question? "I'm sorry," he said quietly, quickly. "Just forget that I asked. It's probably none of my business."

Tomonori shook his head and wrapped his arms tighter around the child. "You don't have anything to apologize for. And it is your business if I ask her out because it would affect you since you are my top priority, and the person that I care most about in the whole world. What made you think that I might ask her out?" Tomonori tried to see the child's face, but Tsukasa had buried his face in the man's shirt. Tsukasa mumbled his answer into his father's shirt. "I can't understand you," Tomonori said gently while rubbing the child's back.

"She had been eating lunch with you a lot, and just other things," the child mumbled again, but loud enough for the man to hear. Tomonori mulled this over while continuing to rub the child's back. So he had noticed how much time they had been spending together, but was it really that obvious that they liked each other? Did the whole school know? Or did only Tsukasa know? Small children sometimes were overly sensitive to these things especially when it came to their own parents. "So are you going to ask her out?" Tomonori thought a minute before answering.

"I might, eventually, but it won't be for a while. You're still recovering from being kidnapped. You need time to heal. Just out of curiosity, what would you say if I did ask her out?" Tomonori could feel the child stiffen and cursed silently. He shouldn't try to push the child like this. He should just wait for Tsukasa to come to him.

"I don't know. I can tell you like her the way Kaname and Mana like each other, but…" Tsukasa stopped himself saying more. His father didn't need to know about his insecurities. He had enough to deal with without adding on his petty troubles.

"Tsukasa, even if some day in the future I do ask her out it will not change my feelings for you. I will always be your father no matter what happens, and you will always be my top priority. You will be the one I care most about, okay? I will always love you no matter what happens, or whoever enters our life. Do you believe me?" Tsukasa pulled back slightly and nodded.

"So you're not going to ask her out for a little while? And you are going to ask her out, I can tell. You look at her the same way Kaname looks at Mana and everyone knows how much in love those two are." Tomonori didn't bother with answering the child knowing that he said was true. He didn't think he loved Isuzu, but he knew it could turn into that if he gave it enough time, but Tsukasa did come first.

The phone rang, sparing both man and child from having to continue on the slightly awkward conversation. Tomonori placed Tsukasa back on the couch and answered the phone. He talked for a few minutes before hanging up the phone and turning back to Tsukasa. "Who was that, Daddy?" he asked while pulling a coloring book and crayons toward him. Tomonori sat back down on the couch, a flood of emotions washing over him.

"They've found a way to turn you back into a sixteen-year-old," he said simply, pulling the child back onto his lap. Tsukasa looked up at him, surprised. That wasn't what he had been expecting to hear.

"Well," he started slowly, "that's a good thing isn't? That they found why I was little, and now I can be a teenager again?" He wasn't sure if it was a good thing, or not. He liked being held, and tucked into bed. Wouldn't those things have to stop once he was sixteen again? Tomonori blinked down at the child.

"I suppose it is a good thing, but I'm going to miss being able to hold you like this. You're to big for me when you're sixteen," he smiled. "But I can still cuddle you some once you're back to normal. I won't be able to put on my lap like this, but you're welcome to cuddle against me when you're a teenager, if you want. And I'll still tuck you into bed if you want." He smiled as the child blushed lightly. "They said that if you don't take the medicine that you'd have to grow up again. You'd age normally and everything, but the medicine will speed up the process. They said it's just a couple of pills. One to change you back, and one to put you to sleep. They said that if you're awake while your body goes through the changes it'll hurt a lot, but if you're asleep you won't feel a thing. They said we could come by the hospital anytime we want to let you take the pills. Do you want to? If you want to simply grow up again, we could do that…" The man trailed off as Tsukasa shook his head.

"I'm not sure that I really want to be sixteen again, but I don't want to have to grow up all over again. I was looking forward to driving and graduating, and college and all of that. This is just really sudden. It's a lot to process, but I don't really mind being little. I like that you're able to carry me around, and that I don't' feel embarrassed when you tuck me into bed, or kiss me goodnight," he said quietly trying to process the fact that he would be big again. He hadn't though it would be such a shock to be big again, or just how much he enjoyed being little. Tomonori wrapped his arms tighter around the child.

"I'll still do all those things if you want me to, okay? But do you want to be turned back into a sixteen-year-old?" Tomonori looked the shocked child in the eye. Tsukasa thought for a minute before answering.

He nodded his head. "Yes, I do. I like being little, but there's lots of things that I want to do that I can't do since I'm little." Tomonori smiled and hugged him even tighter. Tsukasa smiled back at him, both of them realizing that it was time for him to be a teenager again and face whatever challenges were coming his way.

* * *

Tsukasa smiled as he peeked out through the peep whole at his father, Tomonori, and his date, Isuzu Shiraki. It had been a month since he had been turned back into his teenage self. Two weeks after he was back to normal Tomonori had made his move, after several long talks with the teen, and had asked Isuzu out. Once a teenager again, Tsukasa found that many of insecurities about the two going out had disappeared almost completely. He knew that no matter how close the two, and no matter how much the man loved her, he would still have plenty of room in his heart to love him. And once Tsukasa had actually talked to the woman when she came over for dinner he found that he actually liked her. She had been warm and nice, and hadn't forced him to do anything that he didn't want to. She had also been completely understanding about asking Tsukasa if he was okay with whatever they were doing. She thought it was sweet and touching how much Tomonori cared for the teen, and to what length he would go to secure Tsukasa's happiness. 

Tonight was the first night that the two had actually gone out alone. Normally, she would come over to their apartment, or Tomonori and Tsukasa would go across the hall to her apartment for dinner. Tomonori still had some of his over protectiveness left from when Tsukasa and had been little, and from his kidnapping. Tsukasa had finally convinced them to go out to dinner and movie after reassuring them a million times that he would be fine alone by himself for a few hours.

Tomonori had always been happy when he had been with Tsukasa, but now he was always ecstatic. Tsukasa could tell the two were meant to be together even if they had only been dating a couple of weeks. He knew they would end up married soon, once Tomonori popped the question. Tsukasa smiled wider as he realized this what he wanted. He wanted Tomonori and Isuzu to get married. Then he would have a mother and father. He knew it would take a while before he actually started calling her Mom, but she had been nothing but nice to him so far and had a motherly feel about her. There were some things, no matter how much he loved Tomonori, there were simply some things the man couldn't give him that Isuzu could.

Even if for some reason things didn't work out, or something happened between himself and Isuzu, he could always be turned back into a four-year-old to work out his emotional problems, and to accept her as his mother.

**Author's Note:** I know the ending was kind of rushed, I tried not to make it, but I didn't want to have to update this while in school, and I started school on August 8th, or 9th. Whichever one of those is a Monday is when I start. I don't really plan on doing a sequel or anything like that with Tsukasa being little and Tomonori and Isuzu being married. Any of you are welcome to do that if you want to just tell me if you do so I can read it and post the link here so people will know about it.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I LOVE YOU ALL! Reviews are the number one source of feedback for stories, and thanks so much for all of them!


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